Conservation Management Note echidnas HELPING TH - PDF document

Conservation Management Note 3 – 1999- 2 - REPRODUCTIONAlong with the platypus, the echidna is the onlyAustralian mammal to lay eggs. This makes them oneof the last surviving representatives of the monotremes,one of the major subdivisions of mammals; the othersubdivisions are marsupials and placental mammals.Echidnas breed from the end of June to earlySeptember. A particular characteristic displayed byechidnas during the breeding season is the formation of‘trains’ (Rismiller 1993). Sexually active males havebeen known to search out females and form trainswhich may consist of two to ten male echidnasfollowing one another, the female leading and theyoungest male at the end (Rismiller 1993; Rismiller &Seymour 1991). During the breeding season a maleechidna may join several separate trains.A female lays a single egg, which is incubated in thepouch and takes about ten days to hatch. The eggs areround to slightly oval in shape and 13–16 mm long,with a soft, leathery shell (Rismiller & Seymour 1991).When hatched, the young echidna has well-developedforelimbs. It can weigh as little as 380 mg and canmeasure 1.45 cm—about the size of a jelly bean. Theyoung echidna is suckled by its mother from mammaryglands in the pouch, and is carried in the pouch forabout three months. During this time the female willsometimes leave the young animal in a burrow, madeby the female for its protection.When the infant leaves the pouch, its spines havestarted to develop, but it still stays close to its motherand may continue to suckle. The young echidna willleave the burrow at around 12 months of age, weighing1–2 kg (Strahan 1995). When grown, echidnas measure30–53 cm long with males weighing about 6 kg andfemales about 4.5 kg.Echidnas have been known to live for as long as 16years in the wild, but generally their life span is thoughtto be under 10 years (Rismiller & Seymour 1991).EATING HABITSTermites and ants are its preferred food and this is whythe animal is often called the ‘spiny anteater’. However,earthworms, beetles and moth larvae are also part of theechidna’s diet.An echidna will use its fine sense of smell to find foodand has a beak which is highly sensitive to electricalstimuli. It tracks down its prey and catches it with itslong, sticky tongue. Echidnas do not have teeth andthey grind their food between the tongue and thebottom of the mouth.In warm areas echidnas feed during the cooler morningand evening hours and sleep during the day. In southernAustralia they often stop eating during the coldermonths and then eat large amounts during spring.threats to echidnasAnimals that are known or believed to kill echidnasinclude feral cats, foxes, domestic dogs and goannas.Snakes may also invade the burrows of echidnas,feeding on young echidnas that have not yet developedspines.Echidnas are generally shy animals, with a fairly placidnature. If disturbed or approached, an echidna will curlinto a ball with snout and legs tucked beneath itself,concealing its head, with its sharp spines sticking out,deterring predators. It burrows itself into the base ofgrasses and tussocks and is able to wedge itself underrocks or burrow straight down into soft soil to retreatfrom predators.The male echidna generally has a hollow spur on one ofits back legs. This spur does not inject poison. It isthought that spurs are also present in all young echidnas(Rismiller, 1993).Habitat loss poses a threat to echidnas. Retaining orrestoring echidna habitat, such as fallen logs andbranches, tree stumps, rocks, leaf litter and debris, isthe most beneficial step you can take and this willalso lead to other additional benefits for yourproperty. Retention of the understorey providescover for echidnas from predators whilst travellingand moving around, and will also provide goodprotection and habitat for the invertebrates eaten byechidnas.Establish native vegetation, such as trees, shrubsand grasses, in shelterbelts, habitat corridors andwoodlots as these provide habitat and movementcorridors for echidnas.Linking habitat areas with corridors of vegetationwill assist echidna movement. A ‘neighbourhood’approach to the establishment of echidnahabitat/corridors with adjoining properties can addto your own efforts.Don’t let your pets wander unsupervised at night—this will help safeguard your pets as well as thewildlife! Domestic dogs and cats, particularly onfarms, are both potential predators of echidnas. Conservation Management Note 3 – 1999- 3 - If you find an injured or displaced echidna, contactthe National Parks and Wildlife Service or aregistered voluntary group, such as WIRES, as soonas possible.Don’t attempt to pick an echidna up as you mayinjure it. Never put an echidna into the back of yourcar or on your car seat, as its ability to hold on andto burrow may tear or damage mats or upholstery.Griffith, M. 1968, ‘Echidnas’ in International Series ofMonographs in Pure and Applied Biology, ZoologyDivision, vol 38, Pergamon Press, Sydney.Hyett, J. and Shaw, N. 1980, Australian Mammals: AField Guide for NSW, Victoria, South Australia andTasmania, Thomas Nelson Australia, Melbourne.Rismiller, P. D. 1993, ‘Overcoming a prickly problem’Australian Natural History Magazine, vol. 24, no. 6, pp.Rismiller, P.D. and Seymour, R.S. 1991 ‘The echidna’,Scientific American, vol. 264, no. 2, February, pp. 96–Strahan, R. (ed.) 1995, The Mammals of Australia, ReedBooks, Sydney.Strahan, R. (ed.) 1983, The Australian Museum CompleteBook of Australian Mammals, A National PhotographicIndex of Australian Wildlife, Angus and Robertson,Sydney. Conservation Management Note 3 – 1999- 4 - For more information on how the NSW National Parksand Wildlife Service can assist, contact theConservation Partners Co-ordinator,Education and Community ProgramsNational Parks and Wildlife Service,PO Box 1967, Hurstville NSW 1481Phone: 02 9585 6040conservation.partners@npws.nsw.gov.au www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au Compiled by Rachelle CarrittIllustration: Lyn SkillingsFormerly produced by NSW NPWSas Land for Wildlife Note 3. Conservation Management Notes are published by theNSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, for theConservation Partners Program.The Conservation Partners Program aims to encourageand assist landholders who have formed or wish to formpartnerships with the NSW National Parks and WildlifeService to look after wildlife and habitat, nativevegetation and cultural heritage. Conservation Management Note 3 – 1999- 1 - HELPING THEM IN THE WILDwhere are echidnas found?For most of the year the short-beaked echidnaTachyglossus aculeatus) is a solitary animal, althougheach animal’s territory is large and often overlaps withthat of other echidnas. The short-beaked echidna isprotected in NSW and although relatively abundant andwidely distributed within NSW and Australia it is notreadily seen in the wild because of its quiet, reclusivenature.In temperate climates, echidnas are most often seenduring early morning and inthe late afternoon, as theytend to avoid temperatureextremes. Similarly, in aridregions echidnas may forageduring the night, and in thehotter part of the day shelter inrock crevices or caves.The distribution of the echidnaranges from undisturbed todisturbed habitats, and includesforests, woodlands, shrublandsand grasslands, rocky outcropsand agricultural lands. Echidnasare usually found amongrocks, in hollow logs, undervegetation or piles of debris,under tree roots or sometimesin wombat or rabbit burrows(Hyett & Shaw 1980).During rainy or windy VOLUNTARY CONSERVATION ON PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LAND Note 3 — 1999